John D Derham

John D. Derham July 26, 1934 - January 15, 2014

John D. Derham, age 79, of Faribault, MN, passed away Wednesday, January 15, 2014, while being flown to Abbott-Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis following a sudden illness.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, January 20, 2014, at 11:00 a.m. at the Divine Mercy Catholic Church, 139 Mercy Drive, Faribault, MN. Interment will be held at a later date at the Calvary Cemetery in Faribault. Visitation will be held at the Parker Kohl Funeral Home & Crematory in Faribault, on Sunday, January 19, from 2:00 - 5:00 p.m. and on Monday at 10:00 a.m., at the church, one hour prior to the service.

John David Derham was born on July 26, 1934, in Faribault, to John J. and Agnes (Moore) Derham. John''s father died suddenly at a young age, leaving John to provide for his family. Before school each morning, he worked at Dusek''s Bakery, and after school he tended to the needs of the farm. John graduated from Bethlehem Academy with the class of 1953. Because of his work obligations during his high school years, he regretfully was unable to be a BA basketball player, but he was involved in many other school and community organizations. He served in the U. S. Army Reserves, was called to active duty during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and later, after being honorably discharged from active duty, continued in the Reserves for a period of time. In 1959 he was married to JoAnn Kolstad; they were later divorced.

John continued the farming tradition that his grandfather started on Blue Jay Farms in Warsaw Township, Rice County. He loved being a lifelong farmer and was constantly seeking to be innovative in his farming. John thought big and was ahead of his time in creating different ways to farm, including altering machinery to more effectively develop different methods of farming. He was renowned for his Herford beef cattle. John was also instrumental in starting the United Managers, an organization assisting farmers to be as productive as they could be, and he was an organizer of the first shipments of corn to Japan. He also was very actively involved in the National No-till Organization from its inception. John loved the Minnesota State Fair, growing up and working there with his

family. For 54 years he served as a State Fair Gate Captain. He was involved in the initial construction of the Faribault Airport and loved to fly his Piper PA511. His passion for flying led he and Terry Pfeil to build a plane equipped for spraying fields long before crop dusting was developed.

John traveled the world to such places as Spain, Africa, South and Central America, and Alaska, and he loved riding horses in the western states. He was very civic-minded and involved in many organizations for the betterment of the people of his community, including the Faribault Industrial Board, and was heavily involved in the building of the Faribault YMCA. In addition, he was active in the Boy Scouts of America, serving as counselor for those receiving their Farming Merit Badge.

In 1998, John met the love of his life, and after a storybook courtship, John married Janice Holst on March 17, 2004. They shared many interests, and in August of 2009 they started the building of a turn-of-the-century barn. This barn was a passion of theirs and has recently been the venue for gatherings of friends and family. John truly enjoyed helping others and being with people. He had a generous heart and lived his life to the fullest, striving to make his corner of the world a better place for others.

He is survived by his wife Janice of Faribault; step-sons Will Holst and Mike Holst, both of Faribault; sister Noreen Collins of Las Cruces, NM; nieces Abigail and Laura; nephew Edward; his longtime friend and right-hand man, Billy Bultman, of Faribault; and numerous close friends and relatives. He was preceded in death by his parents and many of his beloved family and friends.

The family requests that memorials be given to Bethlehem Academy to support furthering the education of children.